Death Note: Cloud of Malice
by LASTkNIGHT
Summary: Serial murderers often taunt authorities with clues and letters, mocking their incompetence, and boasting of the killer's intellect and acumen. So what if the only authority figure of any note is Kira? A year and four months from L's retirement, Malice, a serial killer with a taste for the spotlight, and none for Kira, emerges to challenge the one the people begrudgingly call "God"
1. Indifference

**(Death) Notes:** This story is intended to follow the anime as closely as possible in theory, to that end I hope I am faithful, and that you will enjoy! Also if you haven't finished the Anime - seriously - don't read this...

**1/19/2014** Had to change some really stupid typos and continuity stuff. Glad it hasn't detracted too much. I'm still happy with the cover, hope you guys like it too. As for the story, I hope you love it. I like hearing thoughts! Happy reading.

* * *

Minoru, twenty-seven years, wraps his palm around the handle of his briefcase sliding it off the bed. His wife Michi straightens his tie, planting her warm lips just aside his. They share quiet laughs before Minoru leaves without a word.

On the way down the long stone steps of his home on a hill Minoru receives a text from his friend Kiyoshi: 'Kira killings increase. News Says. This is scary.' Minoru smirks, this guy's been trying to get him to rally around an "Anti-Kira club" for months now, he types a response 'Only scary to the bad people. I'll live my life peacefully and be content.' He snaps his phone shut, before shuttling to the airport.

The next two days are spectacularly uneventful. Meeting here, conference there, a few cups of coffee and half dozen squirts of dairy creamer. Lots of 'single serving' everything. On his way out of the airport back home he glances at his watch. Ten-fourty Michi should be playing guitar about now, 'Best to let her practice' he thinks, 'We're both going to need a drink when I get home.'

Making his way to a corner store, he picks out a cheap bottle of wine. No sense wasting the money. Taste is about taste not money anyway. Besides, it's about time to rush. He hands the bottle to the cashier, a Korean, who curiously examines it. "No sake?" he asks playfully.

Minoru, halfway disinterested, answers while sifting through his cash. "My wife and I don't drink it."

The cashier reaches over for the money Minoru has readied, joking "I thought this was Japan." but his tug yields nothing, he remains cavalier "You have to let go of-"

"Turn that on." Minoru signals to a mini TV on the counter behind the man's shoulder. His wife's face is on screen, big, smiling white teeth, from their wedding photos.

The cashier turns back, "It is on."

"UP!" Minoru says, practically crawling over the counter "Turn it up!"

The man does as much, and the narration continues "...victim was found violently stabbed to death in her home..."

Minoru's head grinds down "My wife... My wife is dead." The idea doesn't truly have the time to sink in.

"Police say their only suspect is this man, Minoru Akagawa, Michi's husband, the last person to see her alive."

"NO!" Minoru barks at the screen. Leaving the bottle on the counter, he heads for the door, a shock runs through him; clutching his heart, his money spills to the floor, "This is... impossible... This can't be -" Curling into a ball, clutching his entire body this time, Minoru says "I love..." but fails to finish his dying sentiment.

Somewhere, Light Yagami lifts his pen from a Death Note, places it neatly beside, takes a sip of soda, and resumes writing without a second thought.


	2. Breaking

Light enters headquarters, placing his coat on a chair and resting his hand over it, he looks to Matsuda. "Matsuda. How are you?"

Matsuda, leaning against his hands on the armrest of a wide stumpy green chair, lost in thought, seems surprised by the question, "Oh, me... I, I'm fine. Yeah..."

"Really?" Light says, "You seem distracted. Something on your mind?"

"What's on everyone's mind," Soichiro says dropping his coat behind Matsuda as he enters, "'L.'" He slowly rolls up his sleeves.

"'L?'" Light is surprised, "That was quite a long time ago now."

"Exactly." Soichiro says crossing his arms, "It's been a long time. And we're no closer to catching Kira. With 'L' we had constant progress."

Light takes a seat at his computer, "Cases go cold."

Soichiro uncrosses his arms, "Cases go COLD!?" As if he can't believe what's been said, he charges at Light, whirling his chair around, "I was actually **on** cases _before_ Kira, I saw them go cold, and cold cases are not ongoing! This isn't a cold case! This is global genocide! We chose you to be the new 'L' because you had the intellect to match, but if you can't find an angle to work us through - maybe you shouldn't be in charge of this task force after all!" Light's father recomposes himself, saying simply "I'm sorry." before leaving.

Matsuda: "Wow, I've never seen him that angry in person."

"It's okay." Light says calmly, "He's right. Perhaps I am letting you all down. L was no match for me."

"Nonsense!" Matsuda quips again, "You're the best leader for us, he's just stressed. Sure... He's right. I was thinking about Ryuzaki, and how we'd do much better if he were here, but that's just 'cause... We'd have two geniuses then."

Aizawa, who had been sitting contemplatively at his station from the outset, simply says "We'd all feel a lot better if we could make just one break in this case."

Something flashes on a screen beyond Light's monitor, Light notices, but Matsuda points it out to everyone "Hey what's that. On SakuraTV?"

Light turns on the volume: "Breaking news SakuraTV has received tapes from an anonymous source. This source, while unconfirmed, is claiming to be an as yet unidentified murderer. After giving these tapes over to the authorities for examination we have been granted permission to air them live. Be warned. There is some anti-Kira content, we urge our beloved Kira to consider that these hostile words come from the mind of a psychopath, and not those at SakuraTV (Aizawa: "There's a difference?) ... And now the unedited footage."

The screen goes blank momentarily. "Maybe a hoax?" Matsuda asks.

"They wouldn't dare." says Aizawa.

"Kira." The men huddle around the monitors "Yesterday, police broadcast a photograph of a man named 'Minoru Akagawa' he was a suspected murderer, sought in connection to the stabbing death of his _beautiful_ wife Michi - in their fancy home upon a hill. Mr. Akagawa died of a heart attack moments after this information was made public. Another lightning bolt of divine justice no doubt. From the one true God of Judgement... **Kira**. Except, Minoru Akagawa did not murder his wife Michi, or anyone else. He was innocent. What you didn't know, and the police were busy finding out, was that Akagawa was away on business at the time of his wife's killing. A face and a name appeared in a news reel and you ended his life without a seconds hesitation or a shred of evidence. But above all else, I know of this man's innocence because...** I** crept into his happy home, and murdered his lovely wife. Two nights ago. - He's dead. Innocent but exposed. And I am alive. Guilty but clouded. God or not, omniscient you are not. In fact. Your powers seem shockingly limited. So you need a face or a name to kill. Good luck getting either from me. You have to catch me first. See if you can! I will take my fill, I will kill as many as I can get away with, and there's nothing you will ever do to stop me... '**God**'..."


	3. Push

Light shuts off the monitor.

"Hey," Matsuda says "What are you doing? That was interesting!"

"No." Light says "It was over." He walks away from the work station toward the window, "And it's a distraction. It has nothing to do with the case." He turns vaguely back toward them. "Can I have some time alone. I need to think about our next move. Father was right. I need to shake a lead loose otherwise we're just coming here ever day in remembrance of Kira's victims. As witnesses to his legacy. Besides. Maybe you can build leads of your own. As Father said, you are all more experienced investigators than I."

Ide, Aizawa, Mogi, and Matsuda pile one by one out of Light's apartment. Once gone Light's head drops, and between gritted teeth he spurts an audible - and highly pitched - grunt.

Ryuk chuckles. "This is interesting."

"I haven't been this humiliated since... since..."

"L?" Ryuk floats just over the couch.

"Right." Light thinks aloud "Ryuzaki, the first time he put Kira on the spot - on TV. Or the first time he told me who he was..."

"You seem to be taking this much better actually."

Light turns all the way around to look at Ryuk "No. I've learned to compose myself better, but this is worse. Ryuzaki thought he was doing what was right, and was intellectually comparable. This is a petty murderer making me out like an idiot to the world."

"Noooo."Ryuk says "You're much too clever to be an idiot." He laughs again "So. What are you going to do. Kill the news anchors who read his letters?"

"No. That's not the best way to send a message. If he accuses Kira of killing innocents, and claims to be guilty, then killing innocent newsman to silence him will just make me look petty and weak. If I send messages through the news stations denying his accusation it lends credence to their credibility by dignifying them with a response. If I discover who he is - in secret - I could kill him, but then the world would be denied their example. Also I have to have the time to catch him without making the task force suspicious of my actions. This means I have to publicly capture a murderer, and then Kira has to kill him out of spite."

"Hey, but wouldn't killing him prove he was actually right all along?"

Light shrugs. "Only to a point. The important thing is for the world to know you cannot defy Kira without consequence. He won't have his trial, so for all anyone else knows Minoru Akagawa murdered his wife and Kira killed him. Then this... criminal, disobeyed Kira and was killed for his insolence."

Ryuk; sunk halfway through the ground now, rests an elbow on a coffee table at room's center, chin in hand, a slightly bored look on his face. "Does it bother you at all that you killed a guy for nothing?"

"Can we stay on topic here?"

"Sure!" Ryuk says with patronizing glee, "How do you plan to catch this murderer so publicly? Now that the task force is apart from the police?"

* * *

Two Days Later

Soichiro Yagami enters Light's apartment, where the entire team has already gathered, waiting to hear word from him. He announces: "I'm pushing the NPA to let me head the reopened Michi Akagawa murder case." There's a distinct gasp amongst the four men, excluding Light, naturally.

"But Chief..." Ide reluctantly continues, "Why? Eh... We're not NPA? Right?"

"No, **_I_** am not. I have personal reasons for moving ahead with this investigation. I will continue my work with you here on the task force, and I will consult with the police on this homicide in the meantime. Should either investigation require extra attention, I will elect not to sleep until one of the killers is caught! You all should focus your efforts on the Kira case. I'm not asking any of you to throw in with me."

Aizawa appears uncharacteristically opposed to the announcement, "With respect Chief. I don't see what can suddenly be so personal about this case that wasn't two days ago. Or a day before that. If you need to shake loose of the Kira case and work on another for inspiration; that's understandable, but you shouldn't put yourself in a position that could compromises your work on either investigation. Clearing your head is one thing, but killing yourself with overwork is another. I'd much rather see you take time off."

"I'm not taking the Michi Akagawa murder to clear my head... An investigator at the NPA, a friend of mine... more than a friend, if I'm being honest," he looks to Light "before I met Light's mother... was given the case by her superior officer. Erina Noguchi sent me an email requesting that I help her on her first real case. She and her superior Keneko... died.. In a car accident. Yesterday."

'Good.' Light thinks to himself, 'This will be so much easier if father has such a particular emotional attachment to Noguchi. I knew they were friends but this? I could not have had better luck.' He thinks about Noguchi and Keneko's deaths 'By getting both of them in the car at the time of death, even if one of them did have to die of a heart attack, it wouldn't matter, after the wreck kills one, no one would suspect that the other death was unrelated to the accident.'

"So you see," Soichiro continues "It's my duty. She came to me for what little help I could provide. But now... I must fulfill her dying wish. To see this case through. To the very end."

"Father, the Kira case overlaps with Michi's murder, in the sense that this killer seems to be taunting Kira in the media. The connection - it's... tenuous at best, but you said yourself, we're all trying to find new a new direction in the Kira investigation, all of us are clogged up. Maybe a new case is what we all need to get moving again. A temporary hiatus, not from justice, just the hard case, to correct a smaller - no less important - injustice. We catch one murderer, and maybe, somehow, we get closer to Kira in the process. In any case, you would have the support of a trusted and loyal team by your side, and the opportunity to investigate without becoming over encumbered."

Soichiro nods slightly.

"Alright!" Matsuda screams, the energy of the other men is not dissimilar "Let's win this thing!"

Mogi scratches his head "It would be good to do some work on a different case for once. Maybe we're all a little rusty..."

"I regret." The Chief informs. "I'm not sure how I will convince the NPA to let me take over the case."

"Don't worry about that." Light says sitting at the main station, "I've got it all figured out."

* * *

The police station is bustling with activity. A young Mr. Nakano is chatting up a cleaning lady collecting trash at the water cooler. "So I tell him, you know, if we have to catch bad guys even though Kira's going to kill them, by the time things go back to normal the legal system won't know how to handle violent multiple murderers right. Like - Hey what would we do if we caught Kira!?" He lets out an amused grunt, shaking his head at the thought.

"Don't you guys work for Kira?" the lady jabs, before walking away.

"Wait what's your name again!? Ah, shit!" he starts talking to himself "Now how am I supposed to get her number."

A murmur spills across the room and a voice comes through the main office "**L**, L, message from L! Everybody SHUT UP!"

A laptop is placed in the center of the room. A technical type fiddles with it "Hold on, I have to connect it to the intercom system."

Once finished 'L' is instructed to proceed. He does: "NPA. This is L. It is my understanding that the Michi Akagawa murder case has been reopened. I would like to offer my assistance."

One of the police officers speaks out "We can't have you associate with us! You're trying to catch Kira, he'll kill us if we help you!" the other officers nod

"I understand your reservations... I ask that you circumvent them. The killer's bold defiance of Kira fascinates me. It is well known, I take only cases that interest me, and I've hit a dead end in the search for Kira. I will be investigating this murder with or without the police's help for the time being. Since I am unlikely to get any closer to Kira through this case, I see little threat to your safety. In fact, I request that you distance yourselves as much as possible from the investigation and allow my team to have final authority at the crime scenes."

The Chief inspector stiffens up "Why should we do that? Distance ourselves, and let you take over?"

"Because you have made a fool of Kira... If Michi Akagawa was not murdered by her husband, but by a separate murderer who is now taunting Kira on television, Kira will be even more embarrassed, and perhaps even lash out if you prove this new killer's accusations true." Light doesn't know if they'll bite into this particular apple, since he would of course kill the suspect long before any proof could be presented. "Allow our involvement to be an open secret. So that Kira will hear that we are looking for this man. We'll catch this murderer and present him on television as the 'one who defied Kira'. Only. And then he will be executed for his crimes. We ask this both out of my own personal self interest, and one of our investigators'... link to Noguchi, the detective given the case before her untimely death left her destiny in this matter uninitiated."

The NPA chief inspector speaks again "(My head is swimming.) You'll have your final authority, just catch me a killer." the inspector shuts the computer down, looking out across space like maybe he's made a mistake. But lets it go.

"Light?" Soichiro says, "Are we really going to present this killer to Kira like a blood sacrifice?"

"Yes." Light says simply, "It's what 'L' would do." he smiles coyly "When the police, and in this case, us, investigate any murder that is not Kira's, the natural resolution of that process, in a post Kira world, is the death of the murderer. He will die either way. By offering the killer to Kira we satiate his need for justice. By taking his side we may even catch him off guard then - maybe - he begins to believe no one is actively searching for him. That he's won. It could take some time, but after awhile his guard will slip, and we can take advantage of any mistakes he might make in the meantime."

Aizawa sulks "I don't like it. Even if he is going to die, and even if he is a deranged killer. Putting him up there for everyone to see him die. This sends out the wrong message to the world, that Kira is someone to be cooperated with above all else."

"A small price to pay perhaps." Light asserts, "Most of them believe that anyway. And this will give us the opportunity to gain the upper hand."

"How so?" Asks Chief Yagami. "There's no guarantee that Kira will drop his guard. What will this accomplish?"

"Lind L. Tailor." If everyone's attention had been solid. now it's crystallized "I took a look at Ryuzaki's backlog and realized it's been quite a long time since we've pinpointed Kira's general location - since we've had the opportunity to pinpoint it. We have no assurance that Kira has not fled Japan, especially after Ryuzaki's death, he could be anywhere. This will give us the opportunity to take 'L's first step once again. To generate that lead we so desperately need. We'll broadcast this murderer in regions around Japan first, then the world, doing our best to censor internet posts with hackers, decoy stories, and via official means along the way. All the while pretending - in each region - that the broadcast is worldwide. Once our murderer is killed we have our best guess for where Kira is hiding. While it is by no means foolproof, it may just be the push we need to get back in the game!"

Matsuda throws out his arm, pointing at Light like he's hyped for an Olympic tournament "YES! I KNEW you were as good as Ryuzaki! I SAID SO!"

Light's smile is far more sinister on the inside, 'Idiots' he thinks 'They won't find anything. I'll kill him on a random broadcast and they'll be left chasing ghosts. The only result that will come of this is what I have chosen, and the world shall see clearly the fate that befalls those who defy their God. Kira. Me.


	4. Book of Revelations

_**"Many think 'murder' cannot be a written cause of death within the Note..."**_

* * *

Yoji leaves his office ten minutes early. "Where are you going?" the secretary asks at the lobby. He blows right past her and heads for the car. He doesn't know if what he's about to do is right or wrong, he just knows it feels right. He turns the key in the ignition, takes off down the road.

He comes to the quiet suburban neighborhood outside the home of the woman he's been lusting for, for so long. He's been in this exact spot many times before, sweating, without the nerve to work his way in. He reaches into his wallet to check for condoms, then wiping the sweat from his brow, heads to the door before he even remembers leaving his car. Yoji tries to open the door first: nothing. He knocks loudly.

The door opens and there stands the object of his desire Miyu... several feet from it. A broad gloved hand yanks him inside, a medium sized, well built man in a suit, tie and ski mask holds a gun up to his face. "Who the hell are you, huh?"

Yoji has his hands up, "I was - I was"

"You 'were'? 'Were'?' Were what? Come on spit it out." the intruder looks at their hands, "Put your hands _down_." Yoji does, the intruder continues, "You got a ring... She doesn't." he puts all four fingers to his forehead, as if to think really hard, then shakes his head vigorously "Oh, I get it, this is a little tryst right? The two of you? So I guess she's not your wife, then?"

Miyu, looks at Yoji, "Of all the days you could have picked to..."

The masked stranger extends his forearms out at waist level in mock surprise "Woah, this is your first meeting. Pointing the barrel down, he waves the gun around in circles between them, "Come on, don't let me stop you. Do what you gotta do."

Miyu, calm and collected and showing no shred of concern says, "My money is upstairs in the-"

The masked man raises his weapon at her, "**SHUT UP!** If you speak again I won't be responsible for - whatever - happens - **NEXT!**"

Yoji extends a hand in frustration, "Come on, just take her money!" he insists.

"I didn't come here for her money." the intruder looks her up and down, "I came here for roughly the same thing you did..."

The tone of the room changes. A single breath tears away from Miyu's lungs, she can't manage a second, even as she tries desperately, heaving, her shoulders drop, tears pour, her face reddens and she can no longer look at the world beyond her feet. In a moment, she has wilted, "Please, I - ha-ve."

*BANG* a bullet rip open Yoji's head and his blood splashes against the wall. Miyu's scream would stress any soul, so it has zero effect on the killer. He grabs her by the wrist, and pulling a knife from his belt, drags her into the next room, the skin of her feet screeching against her immaculate wood floors. "I know." He says calmly grabbing her around the waist "Let's go."

* * *

Entering his apartment the killer steps on something soft but firm, he clicks the light on dropping his keys on the dresser. Grabbing at his neck he realizes he's still wearing the ski mask, removing it, he looks down at his feet. Akira is his name, 23 years old and at his feet is a thin book that reads "Death Note."

Mace, a Shinigami with a human sized skull in the shape of a cat's, minus the jawbone stands front and center of the apartment glaring at Akira. He has long hair or fur that appears to flow into his clothing like a hood, hardening into spikes down the length of his spine. In the space where eyes should be, rotating red orbs, slightly dull. He wears a long leather coat with dingy patchwork white stitching, and two fancy 'lion's' fur shoulder pads, held in place by a very old looking patterned bead necklace. Like something you'd find in a Native American hobby shop. Under the jacket a rather plain red and white striped shirt, he's dressed a bit more Celtic and medieval from the waist down. Leather pants.

Picking up the book, Akira walks calmly to his couch and sits down, setting it aside, his head scans energetically around; looking for... the remote.

Mace turns his head slowly to Akira, his bones scraping all the way, "Hey, human. Aren't you surprised?"

"Sure, maybe a little. You're 'death' or something, like in all those western movies. So my name is probably written in that book, and now you've come to collect my soul." he shakes his head, a wry smirk on his face, "You know, I knew to do the stuff I've done I'd have to be really messed up, but I never would have guessed I was this messed up."

"You're more messed up than that. But I'm no hallucination. I'm a true Shinigami - You don't have a soul to collect either, by the way. Not in the way you humans look at it. Also I can tell you, if your name was written in that book you'd sure be dead by now. I'm not here to use it on you, I'm giving it to you."

Akira holds it over his head with his left hand, waving it, like he's talking to a roommate "This? Why?"

"It's a Death Note. If you write a name within the Note, the named will die in forty seconds - of a heart attack."

"Really?" Akira looks inside. "Just looks like some regular paper..." his head bolts upright "Wait? Heart attack?"

"Correct. When writing an alternate cause of death it must be written within four hundred seconds of writing the name."

Akira stares off into his television, into space really, pulling a pretzel from the bowl on his coffee table he bites into it. "Heart attack. Forty seconds. Heart attack... killer, shinigami, Death Note: Kira." Akira munches away "Four hundred seconds... Are there other rules?"

"The Death Note has many rules."

"Do you know them all?"

The Shinigami positions himself in front of Akira now, being quite tall anyway, and floating, he towers over him "No one knows them all? Not even the Shinigami King."

Akira coughs, spraying flakes all around "You have a king?..." he waves his hand "Nevermind. How many do you know?"

"I have studied them extensively, more than most of my brethren, and so I know as many rules as there are known to our realm, the Shinigami Realm. Where the note originates."

"This kind of thing..." Akira flops the book, tapping it against his fingers, "I don't know. I really prefer to use my hands for my kind of work..."

"It matters not. It is yours now, you do with it as you will. Besides..." Mace holds a long gangly finger up to Akira's forehead, in typical ghostly fashion it passes right through it, "If I ever want it back; all I have to do is write your name down."

Akira decides it's time to get back to the point "Why are you giving me this?"

"Many think 'murder' cannot be a written cause of death within the Note. Not so. In my boredom and anxiety I have written murder into my Note many times. And in every instance the victim died of a heart attack. Without fail. However, I have written four times recently, 'murder' into my Death Note. And each of these times the victim of my Note _was_ murdered, just as written, and by a single individual. And each time this man murdered... my life was extended. You have taught me something about the Note I never knew. That alone is invaluable to me."

Akira glares at him, "You've been controlling me?"

"Incorrect. I cannot make you do anything. I wrote a person's name, and the word 'murder' next to it, then you decided to kill them. You are a rolling stone, a bolt of lightning, a force of nature. Somebody would have died by your hand regardless, my pen only guided it. You wanted to kill someone - anyone - and I wanted them dead. Had you not been around they may simply have died of heart attacks, and all I'd have left is disappointment. - As a final example: if I had written 'drowns in a lake'... you would be the water."

"I extended your life? If you are trying to thank me... this is a - _very_ - good way to do it," he laughs "even just by the revelation it inspires. You taught me something equally invaluable. But I can't promise I'll use this. Not even once. Still. There are some things I want to know... so tell me every rule you know.


	5. Evil

At eight in the morning the task force enters Light's apartment/headquarters to work on their new murder case. Light, still in his pajamas, is quietly surprised to see them. "I'll make coffee" he says.

"It can wait." his father informs, "The killer sent a new message."

Matsuda pulls up the web clip, the screen is black but the audio reads "Kira. This is Malice. I've killed once again, and once again I remain undeterred. I'm beginning to see you as a cowardly child with superhuman will, a boy who looks through a window, from afar, at all that he hates and crushes it in his mind made real. If I can kill so wontonly in your world; how am i supposed to respect you as an adversary? Another victim and I'm already bored. It has occured to me, that even if I lose our little game, it won't be because you won. The police will do all the work and you'll steal all the glory. People worship you? They fear you? 'Kira the God'? What a hopeless flock of sheep this world maintains. All that humanity inspires in me is hatred, but you most of all. I meet my victims head on, and dirty my hands. I will make that true of you as well."

Light is unaffected. "We didn't learn anything new. Other than; he likes to repeat himself."

"He has a death wish." Matsuda says.

"We learned that the first time." Light counters.

"Another victim," Ide reminds. "there's a second crime scene out there... Somewhere..."

"Right." Light says sitting at a terminal, "I'll find it. By the way, I've set your fake NPA badges on that table over there. It's been awhile since we've been active at any crime scenes. I know it seems like less of a deterrent now that we know about the Shinigami eyes. But based on Kira's obsession with building a new world, I doubt he would ever take the eye deal and split his reign in half. Since I told the police to make sure Kira knew the task force was working for him we're in a more dangerous position than ever of being exposed. - Sorry about that."

"It makes sense," Soichiro says, "not to let the NPA suffer the same risk for Kira's mistakes. Ryuzaki said KIra would hate to be proven wrong. Trying to have him believe we'd catch this killer with special consideration for his reputation is enough of a stretch. He might see through that quite easily. We should take every precaution available to shield ourselves from him without drawing suspicion."

"Done." Light says, "A woman was stabbed to death in her home less than a mile from the Akagawa house. That's the same M.O.

Soichiro grabs his coat, "Let's get down there."

At the scene they flash their NPA badges, "Kira Task Force" Soichiro declares. "This scene is a potential match for allegations Malice has been making. The crime scene is ours now."

The now former lead detective puts his hands at his waist, "So this is it, then huh? The Anti-Kira Task Force, has become the 'Kira Task Force'?"

"The police have developed a cooperative stance with Kira for years now." Soichiro says. "We're all together in this, just let us do our jobs."

"Your job... Your job..." the detective repeats, animating himself "not his job, your job. Fine, have at it. Like I care if some murderer gets wasted on live TV- even if it is at the hands of an even worse one -" he throws his arms out "just another day in Japan now." and walks away.

Soichiro lowers his head in shame, and says softly "This would be a lot easier if we could tell them our plans."

"We can't." Light says.

Soichiro barely lifts his head to utter, "I know."

A young man steps up to Soichiro, shaking his hand "I'm Takashi Nakano. I'll... learn your names as we go along. I've been informed it's a very dangerous job. But to ensure you aren't compromising the murder scene, impeding a real investigation, or otherwise abusing police resources I have volunteered myself to be your police liason. With L's money I'm sure you have most of what you need, but to the extent that it's necessary... I'm also here to help. Any questions?"

Aizawa shoots a skeptical stare "They have one of you at every crime scene?"

Nakano laughs "Stabbed woman fits the M.O. of a killer who has threatened to continue murdering. Actually I was sent here to determine whether or not we should call you guys." he scratches his waist, "...guess I got my answer. - Anything else?"

"What happened here?" Light asks.

"A bloodbath. The neighbors aren't too close, nobody reported any noise. Whether he - the killer - could've known that or not, when he had our woman in the bedroom..." he leads them all inside. On the bed, the once elegant Miyu Yueda lies in layers of dry and moist blood. "he took his time."

Light appears genuinely sick at the scene, "How can one person be so evil?"

Soichiro: "Sexual assault?"

"Not from what we can tell - We don't know yet." Takashi says, "Mrs. Akagawa didn't turn up any evidence of that either though. Doesn't mean it didn't happen."

Soichiro is the only person in the room who stares directly at the corpse, "There's definitely a sexual motive either way. Why else would he torture these women so extensively?"

"Right." says their Liason picking at his leather belt "Hopefully that helps in your investigation..."

"It definitely helps level my concerns some about letting him die." Soichiro walks into the adjacent room.

Nakano continues, "He had to have washed up in the bathroom. It would have been the only way to ensure he wouldn't be noticed leaving the scene. Nobody saw anything and he would have been drenched in blood." he wafts his hands across himself in demonstration.

Aizawa looks around, "How did the killer even get in?"

"Strange at both crime scenes," Nakano admits, "They're pretty nice homes, security systems. No cameras, typically - but protected, more or less. No sign that he really **broke** in to either of them."

"Possibly someone the victims knew?" Soichiro suggests - and questions, and he _is_ skeptical, "Serial killers don't make a habit of killing people they know."

"We know." Nakano says.

Ide: "This **is** a really nice place, what did her husband do? Can we talk to him?"

"Maybe if he existed." Nakano says, then mumbles "Not sure yet if she even had a boyfriend. But..." he says "She works for an advertising firm."

"Lightheart Mines?" Mogi asks.

Nakano has to think, but not very hard "Yeah, how did you know that?"

Soichiro answers, "It's the company Minoru Akagawa worked for. This is an unusual series, suggestions that the victims knew the killer. Connections to each other... and then Kira."

"Yeah..." says Nakano, "He is an odd one."

Matsuda recolors the conversation "I feel like a real detective again!"

Aizawa swats him on the back of the head, "Grow up, this is serious!"

Soichiro is dumbfounded, "Just as strange, if these connections line up, this killer shows little to no regard for his own safety."

"He's in a fight with Kira." Light says, "He's obviously not afraid to die."

"Maybe he's trying to manufacture the perfect way to do it." Soichiro thinks aloud "Die." he points at the ground "He said it on the tape, 'even if I lose'. To him this is a game. Win or lose, he wants to be remembered as the man who stood up to Kira."

Light can't hide his contempt "Those are quite grandiose delusions for a man who butchers defenseless women."

Matsuda raises his hand meekly "Eh... Psychopaths don't usually have a very good sense of self. His hypocrisy might be elusive, or justified to him."

'I'll show him.' Light thinks.

* * *

Akira drives around town turning out into a patch of grass, continuing off until he's isolated. Parking in the grass. Mace follows him to the tail end of the car. Akira resumes conversating , "...Say I was to write that a super rich person leaves me all of their money before they die?"

"How well does this person know you?" Mace asks.

"Well, you see, I don't even want them to know it's me they're leaving the money to. Right? Because I don't want anyone to know I have it."

"They would die of a heart attack."

Akira pulls a shovel out of the back of the car. "Why?" He asks.

"Because they wouldn't have any reason to send money to a person they don't know anonymously. Even if you have them stash it, you can't be sure they'll know the hiding spot you're thinking of, that no one else will mess with it, or that you can definitely get to it. So a heart attack is the most likely result."

"Thank you!" Akira says walking to the trunk rattling his keys.

"Akira. Why do you have a human stashed in this car?"

Akira smiles, "He's an educational tool." the trunk opens, and inside is Yoji, his gunshot victim, a bandage wrapped around his head, his jaw and cheekbone, more specifically, where the bullet had struck him. "See last night when I killed his girlfriend - and tried to kill him - he passed out. When he woke up, he just wandered around disoriented and that gave me a really great idea!" he prods Yoji with the handle of the shovel, "HEY! GET OUT!" He pulls him out by his shirt, tossing him into the muddy grass. Getting his bearings Yoji rests on his knees. Akira extends the shovel, "Here, take this."

"Making him dig his own grave?" Mace shakes his head, "What are you going to learn from that?"

Akira stretches his neck back, stiffening up, a stern look on his face, "I'm not making him dig his own grave! Holy hell, man, how evil do you think I am? Although that is pretty funny... I might have to think about that for next time."

* * *

_See I called our rich friend. Not the hypothetical one, a real one. Hiroshi Moto._

_"Hello." Hiroshi answered his phone. Hiroshi is the President of a big advertising firm._

_"Mr. Moto. Do not hang up the phone. Your family's life is in danger. Do not speak unless spoken to."_

_He sounded very rattled_ **(Akira makes a phone with his fingers as he tells Mace the story.)**_ "Who is this!? What do you want from me?" he asked._

_"I want every cent of money you can materialize in ten days, or your entire family will be killed. I know you won't go to the police... I will text you the coordinates at which to bury the money. You will do so carefully and discreetly. You will delete the text, and quietly commit suicide at the end of the next ten days, far from the country, and in a way that will no doubt leave confirmation of your death in question." Now, I wrote these instructions into the Note that you gave me. And before he could even open his mouth in responses, I added the last piece of the text... his name._

* * *

Akira strikes the back of Yoji's neck. "OVER **THERE**! Dig in the odd patch! Do it, _hurry!_" Akira stands beside Mace, watching Yoji closely. See I gave his actions context, and I gave him reason to give me his money. Reason to familiarize himself with this location. So he should have followed my instructions to the letter. - See that Mace? When you want to manipulate somebody, you never _really_ have to worry about them lacking knowledge of important details - because you can always just... - tell it to them!" He laughs.

Mace nods. "Interesting... You did use it."

Akira folds his arms over, "I did, I did. At least this once. It's all to a purpose." he informs.

"You are teaching me many new things." Mace says.

"Glad to here it Mace... " Akira walks toward Yoji, screaming "HEY! You better not get blood on my money!"


	6. Espy

Neon spatter caked across a glowing wall. That's what Matsuda places in front of Light. - A picture of it at least. "Blood spatter?" He asks.

Matsuda confirms, "From the killer."

Aizawa hovers over them with a stern look on his face. "We don't know that it's from the killer."

Matsuda insists, "Yes we do."

"Why?" Aizawa asks as if ad nauseam.

"No, he's right," Light says to Aizawa, he moves out of his chair still fixated on the still "The killer didn't clean up any other blood at the crime scene. Therefore it stands to reason; the blood is his. So we know he's injured... Pretty badly from the look of it." Light places the photos in their file, still staring at them.

"But how?" Aizawa wonders again, "The murdered girl had nothing when we found her, her family insists she is not the kind of person to keep weapons in the house. She was helpless" he points hard enough to jostle the file, "and this burst looks pretty violent."

Light places the tip of the folder against his own chin, "Hm. You make excellent points. But a single woman with so much money... She might have a secret, perhaps there are sides of her personality she doesn't show family and friends. If she kept a weapon for self defense, the killer would have taken it too - of course. He doesn't want us to know he's been injured, and he wouldn't want us matching any weapon to his injury. Taking it would be consistent with his behavior."

"Okay..." Aizawa says reluctantly, while pushing "He would have bled all over the victim."

Light turns back to Matsuda "Did they find two types of blood at the scene?"

Matsuda hunches awkwardly rubbing the back of his head, "Eh, we'd have to wait for the lab results."

Light begins to concentrate, 'Aizawa's right. This looks suspicious. The little we have to go on tells us the killer is methodical, or at least prepared. Also, he has a quarrel with Kira, with Kira killing 'innocent' people, he wants to test his limits. Could there have been a third party in Miyu's home? Is this the work of a killer who took a flawed step and scrambled to cover his tracks? Or is he putting up a scapegoat for the police to sacrifice as a way to test Kira's resolve? I have to assume it's the latter, for now. Unless the killer's an idiot, had he been injured it would have been less risky to flee the scene without murdering the girl. Breaking and entering carries a much lighter punishment than murder. Even I might have forgiven him for that. Had he been injured at the point of no return, the smart thing to do would be to distance himself from the murder, by altering the crime scene - no, wiping it altogether.' he grits his teeth 'A - 'single' - woman... If the results show blood from a second party, that second party is another one of Malice's victims, one he wants the police to broadcast as the suspect so Kira will kill him prematurely.' Light catches Matsuda and Aizawa staring at him, "What?"

Matsuda points haphazardly, "Isn't it creepy when he does that?"

Smiling wryly, Light says "Just thinking Matsuda. It works wonders... We should let the police handle this one."

The big "WHAT!?" is a uniform reaction from the two other men.

"Malice is an obvious narcissist, if he's half as intelligent as he thinks he is, he wouldn't have gotten himself injured at the crime scene. So I have to deduce that he's unlikely to be Miyu's killer." A possible enough scenario, but one would need trash for brains to be so careless with a crime scene in a post Kira society. "A killer who wants so badly to finish work he thinks is important would not jeopardize it by leaving obvious evidence of his presence at the crime scene. If our victim injured him he would have been aware enough to glean the futility of the situation and simply distance himself by disposing of the body and emptying the scene of visible evidence. - At least then we would have little opportunity to sort through things like separate types of blood.

Aizawa slumps onto the couch, "So wait, we did all that for nothing?"

"No we didn't." Soichiro says from across the room, "I've been listening, and Light's theory is just that - a theory. And proud though I am of his intelligence he's missing a crucial detail, the link between the victims. Two young Japanese women connected to a single company, alone, in their secure homes have been murdered by an intruder who moves undetected and unobtrusively, in and out, as if by ghostly means... Miyu's murder was not especially common knowledge as we began investigating, and we were only here because the killer told us he had committed a murder, so even if we assume the killer lied about committing one, (or committed a different one) and we have found one to attach him to, as a form of 'wishful thinking' the likelihood of that coincidence has to be called into question when compared against all other connections. It seems far more likely that the killer is stupid - or careless - than it does that they are completely separate crime scenes, with nothing to do with one another. In addition to all of that, the NPA handed us this case, they will refuse to hand it back. So even if you're right. We're stuck with it."

Light laughs slightly, hiding behind awkwardness "You're right dad. Your wealth of experience trumps my deductive skills any day."

"Nonsense." Soichiro says "you're an excellent detective, you just hadn't given yourself the time to address all of the pieces. It makes sense actually, you're still young. It's probably the same zeal that led 'L' to you and Misa so assuredly."

"Yeah, but he was right about that," the room turns on Light for his statement, but he keeps his cool, as it was no accident, "Misa and I were excellent suspects - on the surface that is. I had the intellectual fortitude and sense of justice, proper justice, but nonetheless, the mentality, and Misa had an obsession with both Kira and me. But he really was grasping at straws, the Kira case is unconventional and we were all he had to go on at the time. This case is very conventional, I wish Ryuzaki were here. We could use the simplicity of his expertise."

Light's father is all business. "I conducted interviews with employees at Lightheart Mines. Two strange rumblings around the office since this murder. One, that an employee by the name of... Yoji Amago did not arrive for work, his wife hasn't heard from him, she says this is unusual behavior. Co-workers say he was distracted, frigidity and sweating. And that he left early that day. There's also a bit of anecdotal evidence that he was 'infatuated' with our recent victim. The other lead, coincidentally; the CEO of Lightheart Mines, Hiroshi Moto, is also missing. However he's a lot more prone to this type of behavior."

"Sooooo..." Matsuda asks, "What should we do?"

Light is a bit intrigued that he's at a loss - at least for something to do at this moment, "I guess... we have to wait for the blood results. Whoever the killer is, Aizawa's assertion that his blood should be on the victim is foolproof. Whether he is Malice or not there definitely was a killer careless enough to be injured at the crime scene - it appears. We have two plausible suspects, we just have to find out who's blood it is. - Hiroshi Moto has children?"

Soichiro nods, "Two of them, so does Yoji, actually."

"We'll have to take our samples from them." Light says, Soichiro is ready to move when Light stops him "But father. We are - in part - trying to lull Kira into a false sense of security by pretending to work on his behalf..."

Soichiro nods in understanding "...Yes?"

"That means putting up the right sacrifice, if our suspect in this case can be cleared of the Michi Akagawa murder, I don't think we should risk the public spectacle of a live execution. Instead. We allow him to be processed like any other killer. Of course Kira will kill him. But we shouldn't waste our time."

Soichiro looks vaguely-suspiciously at his son, perhaps one of the few times he's ever really considered his guilt, but it doesn't stay with him. Light's tactics are no more severe than Ryuzaki's. 'He's just trying to come up with a plan.' He reasons. Chief nods, "I need no excuse to spare any man the humiliation of being slaughtered in front of a cheering audience."

* * *

A stack, piles and piles really, of money sits mountainess atop Akira's desk covering it, shielding it, concealing it. It cannot bee seen. All that is, is a pyramid of money. Akira fiddles with a stack. Just off to his right; Yoji, tied, and even further, toward the door of his apartment, Mace. Akira waves to him, "Come mace, have a seat."

"I don't sit much." he answers, "Everything is too soft here." he clarifies.

"Well I agree." Akira says without much thought. He tosses his money at Yoji's dust encrusted face. "There's a lot I might do with this."

"Did you do as you said you would... with your Note?" Mace asks.

"Yes."

"It must have worked."

Akira looks over himself, "Must have."

"And so you'll be returning it now..."

"Well. Not quite." he grinds his fingers in the air toward himself, kneading it, working something out "See, I'm beginning to formulate a theory. It's kinda nuts but... lets face it, this is all kinda nuts and - Hold up." On the television Yoji Amago's face. "THIS!" he points excitedly "THIS is what I've been WAITING FOR!" he puts his hand on Yoji's shoulder, this is why I brought you here from the beginning. You are about to serve a noble purpose - okay it's a selfish purpose, but it'll prove a _point_ nonetheless."

"...the key suspect in the stabbing death of renowned businesswoman Miyu Yueda. Investigators found Amago's blood on the victim's sheets, clothing, and face."

Akira shuts the news off watching Yoji intently. But nothing changes. And all through the night... nothing changes. "Well shit." Akira takes a knife and repeatedly stabs Yoji in the chest and stomach. "That's a waste. He must have figured out what i was doing."

"You wanted Kira to kill him." Mace states rhetorically.

"Yeah, he's trying to prove some divine knowledge of guilt. Maybe he even wants me to believe he's getting around to me, like perhaps Minoru Akagawa did something else wrong - or he just saw his wife's death on the news and succumbed to heart failure... Seeds of doubt you see. But there's no way to divine guilt from a Death Note, is there?"

"We went over every known rule." Mace says plainly.

Akira holds up the knife, blood dripping from it, pattering onto some of his denominations. "So how could he have known? You saw the same broadcast I did. Kira finds these things out at the same time as everyone else. He killed that Akagawa guy like it was nothing! And that's why there are still so many people in jail for violent offenses - whose crimes were not recent. He saw it, but knew already about Yoji's innocence. You have no idea how strongly this fits my theory."

Mace drifts over to Yoji's chair, hovering behind his body "You realize that if Kira were just getting around to writing this man's name down before you stabbed him that would be the exact reason he hadn't died."

Akira waves him away "Yeah, yeah, I know. What are the chances? They almost never die this long after a broadcast." Akira kicks his money, sending heavy stacks across the room. "You know what I heard? L has convinced the police to let him capture the killer who threatened Kira. Why? So they can publicly execute him FOR _Kira_ on _live_ TV!" Akira paces back and forth weaving between the corpse and his stacks of money. "Now, why, would he do that?" he asks clasping his hands together "He is supposed to be capturing Kira and I - well - I am _challenging_ Kira. I am but a lesser mortal, as it were. A smaller fish to fry and SO... L abandons his investigation to find Kira in order to hunt... me. Just **me**!" he laughs "A world renowned detective with a success rate of one hundred percent - one who spends more time winning than he does even investigating only does a handful of years tracking the most elusive most powerful prey he's ever encountered and he just... gives up? In less than - ten - years... But let's back up." he points to the sky "What did L do for years before that? Find criminals, determine their guilt and bring them to justice. What does Kira do? Find criminals, determine their guilt and bring them to justice. And once Kira comes along what is the only worthy challenge for a determined ego driven investigator? Only Kira. Kira kills people with magic" he says mockingly, pulling the Death Note from the ruins of his money "so 'who is the ONLY person we must get to find him?' L... That's who. Of course. The master! Maybe these men sound so alike because they're the same person. Maybe L got his hands on one of _these_" he holds up his Note, "maybe he knew that they would all turn to him, and that as the fox investigating the chicken coup he wouldn't even need to pretend anymore. They'd all be putty in his hands. I mean he's going to kill me on LIVE **TV** for god's sake! Who does that? Kira does that. There's no 'Kira investigation' there's just... Kira." Akira plops down into his couch. "That's the world we live in..."

Mace is strangely silent before saying "If you're right, you're hopeless. You realize? If his success rate is really one hundred percent you don't have a chance."

"I do have my ace in the hole. I might need your help with that. But I want to talk to you about something different. I'm not afraid to die Mace, you know that. I just want to look Kira in the eye and have him know he hasn't won - not against me. I'd like to test the theory I've shared with you here, but there's only one way to do it. I want to talk to you about the Shinigami eyes. They'll show me names?"

"True names. And lifespans." Mace nods.

"...but not... of Death Note owners, correct?"

"Correct."

"And we both know Kira owns one - and I'm sure Kira is L, and L is a member of the Kira investigating squad, he just has to be, there's no other way. There's not even any other way that Kira could have known so quickly that Yoji was innocent. It all adds up. I'm going to take a gamble, give me the eyes, I have to meet the squad."

"How?" Mace wonders.

"They're investigating Lightheart Mines, right? They have to find our friend Yoji's whereabouts and probably the location of our generous CEO. Follow up on leads" he deepens his voice for effect "'How the victims are all connected!' All I have to do is spend enough time there. No one knows who L is, so reasonably he might be out in the field as well. Or covert, nearby. - At least I might be able to catch a glimpse of him." he snaps his fingers, "At that moment. I'll know."

* * *

And so Akira camps the next day, parking his car outside Lightheart Mines, waiting for the team of investigators to arrive. And to his surprise they did, a group of men exit a dark sedan. 'They look like cops' he thinks, watching anxiously, it is with even greater surprise, an abstract firecracker of thrills and glee that he sees only one of them is missing his lifespan. Akira is practically drooling "Yagami." He says through a smile "I've found you. Soichiro Yagami."


End file.
